Jeremiah 19
Complete Jewish Bible
19 Adonai then said, “Go; buy a clay jar from the potter; take some of the people’s leaders and some of the leading cohanim; 2 and go out into the Ben-Hinnom Valley, by the entry to the Potsherd Gate. There you are to proclaim the words I am about to tell you. 3 Say: ‘Hear the word of Adonai, kings of Y’hudah and inhabitants of Yerushalayim! This is what Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, says: “I am about to bring disaster on this place that will make the ears of whoever hears about it ring. 4 This is because they have abandoned me and alienated this place. In it they have offered to other gods that neither they nor their ancestors have known, nor the kings of Y’hudah. They have filled this place with the blood of innocent people. 5 They have built the high places of Ba‘al, in order to burn up their children in the fire as burnt offerings to Ba‘al — something I never ordered or said; it never even entered my mind.
6 “‘“Therefore the time is coming,” says Adonai, “when this place will no longer be called either Tofet or the Ben-Hinnom Valley, but the Valley of Slaughter. 7 I will nullify the plans of Y’hudah and Yerushalayim in this place. I will have them fall by the sword before their enemies and at the hand of those seeking their lives, and I will give their corpses as food for the birds in the air and the wild animals. 8 I will make this city an object of horror and ridicule; everyone passing by will be horrified and will ridicule it because of all its wounds. 9 I will cause them to eat the flesh of their own sons and daughters; everyone will be eating the flesh of his friends during the siege, because of the shortage imposed on them by their enemies and those set on killing them.”’
10 “Then you are to smash the jar in front of the people who went with you, 11 and say to them, ‘Adonai-Tzva’ot says that this is how I will break this people and this city, just as one smashes a potter’s vessel beyond the possibility of repair. The dead will be buried in Tofet, because there will be no space left for burial [anywhere else]. 12 That is what I will do to this place,’ says Adonai ‘and to its inhabitants; I will make it like Tofet. 13 The houses of Yerushalayim and those of the kings of Y’hudah will be defiled like this place Tofet — yes, all the houses on whose roofs they have offered to all the stars in heaven and poured out drink offerings to other gods.’”
14 Then Yirmeyahu returned from Tofet, where Adonai had sent him to prophesy, stood in the courtyard of Adonai’s house and said to all the people, 15 “This is what Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, says: ‘I am bringing on this city and all its surrounding villages all the disaster I have pronounced against it; because they have stiffened their necks and refused to pay attention to my words.’”
Yirmeyah 19
Orthodox Jewish Bible
19 Thus saith Hashem, Go and acquire a yotzer’s earthen jar, and take some of the Ziknei HaAm, and of the Ziknei HaKohanim;
2 And go forth unto the Gey Ben-Hinnom, which is by the petach (entrance) of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the Devarim that I shall tell thee,
3 And say, Hear ye the Devar Hashem, O melachim of Yehudah, and inhabitants of Yerushalayim; Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os, the Elohei Yisroel; Behold, I will bring ra’ah upon this makom, the which whosoever heareth, his oznayim shall tingle.
4 Because they have forsaken Me, and have made this an alien place, and have burned [offerings] in it unto elohim acherim, whom neither they nor avoteihem have known, nor the melachim of Yehudah, and have filled this makom with the dahm of innocents;
5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their banim with eish for olot unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spoke it, neither came it into My lev;
6 Therefore, hinei, the days come, saith Hashem, that this makom shall no more be called Tophet, nor Gey Ben-Hinnom, but The Valley of Slaughter.
7 And I will make void the etzah of Yehudah and Yerushalayim in this makom; and I will cause them to fall by the cherev before their oyevim, and by the hands of them that seek their nefesh; and their nevelah (carcasses) will I give to be food for the oph HaShomayim, and for the behemat ha’aretz.
8 And I will make this city desolate, and an object of hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the makkot (plagues) thereof.
9 And I will cause them to eat the basar of their banim and the basar of their banot, and they shall eat every one the basar of his re’a in the siege and desperation, wherewith their oyevim, and they that seek their nefesh, shall drive them to despair.
10 Then shalt thou break the earthen jar in the sight of the anashim that go with thee,
11 And shalt say unto them, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a yotzer’s vessel, that cannot be made whole again; and they shall bury them in Tophet, until there be no makom (place, room) to bury.
12 Thus will I do unto this makom, saith Hashem, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet;
13 And the batim (houses) of Yerushalayim, and the batim (houses) of the melachim of Yehudah, shall be tameh as the makom of Tophet, because of all the batim (houses) upon whose roofs they have burned ketoret unto all the Tzeva HaShomayim, and have poured out nesakhim (drink offerings) unto elohim acherim.
14 Then came Yirmeyah from Tophet, from where Hashem had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the khatzer (courtyard) of the Beis Hashem; and said to kol HaAm,
15 Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel; Hineni, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns kol hara’ah that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks, that they might not hear My Devarim.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
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